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FORTIETH REPORT 



LAND COMMITTEE 



TO 



Valley Forge Park Commission 

JANUARY 6, 192 1 




HARRISBURG, PA. 

J. L. L. KUHN, PRINTER TO THE COMMONWEALTH. 

1921 



FORTIETH REPORT 

LAND COMMITTEE 



TO 



Valley Forge Park Commission 

JANUARY 6, 1 92 1 




TIARRISr.riKJ. PA. 

T. L. L. KUHN. I'TMNTRK TO THE COMMONWEALTH. 

1921 







LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
DOCUMENTS DiViSION 



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LAND COMMITTEE 
FOKTIETH KEPORT 

Valley For-ic .laimaiy 6, lOl'l. 
To the Coiimiissioiiei-s <»r 
Valley Foi'i^e Park. 

( Jeutleiiii'u : 

Since the last report of the Land (/oiuniittee, on Deceinlter 2, 1920, 
no land has been acqnired, either by pnrehase or by condemnation, 
bnt daniajies ascertained by the Conrt of Connnon Pleas of Mont- 
^qoniery Connly on apjH'als from, the awards of A'iewers have been 
entered in the following cases, reported by •]. 1'. Hale Jenkins, Esq., 
s|;ecially dejtntized by the Attorney (General of the ronnnonwealth 
for that jHirpose: 

"Noi-ristown. Ta., Decendier 2, 11)20. 

Colonel Richnion<l L. -Jones, 
IJeadini;, Pa. 

My dear (Ndonel .Jones: — 

I desire to rejtort to yon the ivsnlt of the jnry trials in the follow- 
in j; cases: — 

Nicholas and (^nirico (Jaffo !if7,142 1.'! 

Annie E. Law !),(((»(» (Ml 

Thomas Law l.aOO 00 

Mary .McGlasheii 8,500 00 

Ella I. Hittell 0,000 00 

Dr. (ieorge F. Hartnian 12,r)00 00 

•lames Mercer, Est (l.oOO 00 

K. J. McCnrdy, Sr (;,()00 (Ml 

Frank (^nii-j;, :;(;,00() 00 

William I)on,ulass ."..400 (10 

In all of tlie above cases verdicts weie rendered by agreement and 
lor the amonnt of the award of the jnry of view. In the Catio case, 
inasmnch as we were abont taking possession of the i)roi)erty, I al- 
lowed some interest. In the Donglass case the verdict is in harmony 
with iln) verdict of the .Jnry in the Mnllen case. These honses are 
twin honses, being bnilt by the same person at the same time and are 
alike in every res])ect. In the Frank Qnigg case, the verdict of the 
jury was fifteen hnndred dollars (.f 1,500) in addition to the award 
of the Jnr-A' of view. 

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Ill the Henri/ S. Hift(ll I'sfdtr case, a liotly routosted case, the 
verdict of tlie juiy was slL'.Tod ; ilie reitort (►!' tlie -hii-.v <tf View was 

In tlie case of Willidtn M. lStvj)hvn.s and Mditha N/c/^/if //.y E><tatc, 
the court directed the trial to be held on the 20th of December. 

Tlie case of Jolni J . Buhner was continued upon personal applica- 
tion of Mr. McAvoy, Counsel for IMaintitt'. allef;inii illness. 

1 fully expected to be present at the nieetin<; today, but inasmuch 
as the jury in the Kiwiii case is to be called this afternon and a view 
liad later in the afternoon, it will be impossible for me to attend. 
Had 1 attended the meeting 1 would have had a full report. My 
purpose now is to telephone you these results before you go into 
session this afternon. our jury Avill be called at two o'clock. 

i'ours very truly. 

(Signed I J. T. HALK .JENKINS.*' 

"December I'l*. fluM). 
Colonel liichinond L. .loiies. 
Heading, Pa. 

My dear Colonel Jones: — 

The verdict of the jury in the William M. Stephens case was flJr.l'.sO. 
In this case Mr. Stephens declined to appear before tlie Jury of View 
and tliey awarded him .fl),5(M). The case has been on trial since 
Mojiday morning. Ten witnesses were called for the Plaintitf and 
(estilied that the property was worth from .f 18,500 to flM.OOO. The 
Common wea It li's witnesses testitied to a value of from .fJl.OOO to 
.«!10.!;00. The verdict as above-stated is .$14,280. 

In the Martha Stephens Plstate case, the taking of the large dwell- 
ing house and three acres of land nearly opposite Varnum's Head- 
quarters, the Jury rendered a verdict of |!l5,;;i00. In this case the 
Jury of View aw'arde<l .|1(i,0(H>. From this award there was an appeal 
taken by the ComiiHmwealth. The testimony of the Plaintift's ten 
witnesses were from .flT.oOO to .1^21.000. The Defendant's witnesses 
Avere from .f^l.-J.O.^O to .f;i:i.800. 

There are for trial, in which there will be a contest, two cases, 
that of William S. (Jaruett, and John J. Balmer. There are several 
other apiieals pending, Imt I do not think there will lie a content in 
any of them. 

Vours very Irnly. 

(Signed) J. P. HAI.K .IKXKIXS."' 



'i'lic \\(»ik of restoring (lie \alley Creek to its original channel etc., 
li:is been ])i-oceeding satisfactorily, and the bills lendered therefoj' 
jiy Mr. Wm. H. Doyle for tlie month of November 1020. were ap]>roved 
by the Park Commission, and have been paid out of the funds d<'sig- 
nated in the resolutions tlien ado])ted. 



Dui-iiig the last nioiilli <»f 1!)20, the work proceeded, as the weallu-r 
Ijerniitted, but all ol it was done with our own men and teams, and 
the c<Kst charged to the pay-roll. 

With the approval of the Commission, expressed at the last meet- 
ing the Chairman ol the Land Committee, wrote to .Judge Koch sug- 
gesting that inasmuch as the \"alley Creek road is out of repair and 
needs to be widened and reconstructed for the general traltic ^-on- 
venience of the public, and the Townsliip of Ujiper Merion to whicli 
it belongs has no funds with which to reconstruct it or to jtroperly 
maintain it as a Commonwealth road ouglit to be, and further, 
inasmucli as the Patriotic Order Sons of America is a guardian angel 
(»f Valley Forge, aiding in the rescue of Washington's lieadipnirters 
and otherwise fuj'thering the development of the tield ; it seems very 
proper that the P. O. S. of A., as a Pati-iotic Order, sliould espouse 
the x'ause of tliis Public Tioad through the gorge, and passing in 
front of its Hall at Valley Forge, and ask tlie Commonwealt'i to 
take it over as a STATE HIGHWAY, thus connecting the Phoenix- 
ville ajid the Devon roads, botli l)elongiug to tlie State Highway 
system, and, to provide for tlie construction and maintenance of a 
highway worthy of tlie pride and dignity of the Commonwealth 
through whose historic park it passes. Judge Koch who is the Coun- 
sellor and Nestor of the order, espoused the undertaking with en- 
thusiasm, and set about its execution with his usual energy. 

Judge Koch also says he api)reciates the reipiest, and will, nt his 
first opportunity, reduce to writing, for the tiles of the Commission, 
his caBtempore remarks made at the dedication of the P. O. S. of A., 
Hall at Valley P'orge, November 2S. U)i.'0. 

Copies of Judge Koch's letters to Honorable C.abi-iel H. M(»yt>r, 
President of the P. (). S. .\.. acconijtanies this rejxnt. 

Kespectfully subniitte<i. 

KICHMOM) L. JONFS. 

Chnirinun. 




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